New Brunswick is capping off a record-breaking weekend with 93 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Sunday.
As well, two more New Brunswickers have died as a result of the virus.
The deaths include a person in their 70s in Zone 2 (Saint John region) and a person in their 50s in Zone 4 (Edmundston region). This brings the province’s total number of deaths to 66.
Saturday’s case count was 140 with four deaths. With 96 new recoveries, the active case count is 759.
“One of the reasons it looks so much worse than it is or looks as bad as it does is because we were so well managed for the 17 months of this,” data analyst Ray Harris tells Global News.
“So if you compare these numbers to what we’ve experienced, it is really bad.”
Harris thinks things will get worse before it gets better and, in theory, it should become clear soon whether the province’s return to masking and the introduction of proof-of-vaccination worked.
There are now 45 people in hospital, including 20 in an intensive care unit.
Of those currently in hospital, 35 are unvaccinated, 10 are either partially vaccinated or fully vaccinated.
Testing backlog mostly ‘resolved’
Epidemiologist Kevin Wilson says a high testing capacity is key to riding out the fourth wave.
“Obviously you don’t want to see record-breaking case or mortality rates or hospitalizations or ICU occupancy rates,” he says.
“It’s just the natural progression of what’s been building for the last couple of weeks and that’s why you’re seeing the New Brunswick government and Public Health ramp up pushing vaccines more aggressively, ramping up testing capacity.”
Both Harris and Wilson say the backlog of testing is concerning and is likely playing a role in the case counts. There have been reports of seven-day waits for a testing appointment.
Harris says some people may even avoid getting tested because of the wait, leaving a lot of uncertainty around the true severity of caseloads.
For their part, the province says delays in testing at assessment centres throughout the province have been resolved “in all areas except for Zone 3 (Fredericton region).”
It’s expected that the backlog will be “resolved” before the end of the day Tuesday. Elsewhere, appointments are being booked between 24 and 48 hours, according to the province.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, tells Global News that those looking for a test are being triaged. Those with symptoms go first. Next comes close contacts and then people with no close contacts or potential symptoms.
She says those people who aren’t at the first of the line will wait a bit longer.
Vaccination rates and public gatherings
Currently, 80.5 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers are fully vaccinated, and 89.5 per cent have received their first dose of a vaccine.
Of Sunday’s new cases, Public Health says 67 per cent involved people who were unvaccinated, 13 per cent were partially vaccinated and 20 per cent were fully vaccinated.
Russell says the province is concerned by the numbers but especially by what contact tracing has revealed to Public Health.
She says it shows that the virus is spreading through private gatherings, including hunting parties, birthday parties, private funerals and a backyard wedding.
“We really need people to stick to their steady 20,” she says.
Late last month, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard met with several faith-based organizations to work with them on ensuring a 90 per cent vaccination rate among their members.
The 90 per cent figure is the number Premier Blaine Higgs identified as the province’s new target for full vaccinations, and he said he expects faith organizations to adhere to New Brunswick’s proof-of-vaccine policy.
The province has had public safety officers out this weekend conducting spot checks at churches “to ensure the mandatory order rules are being followed.” The province says that’s because a number of churches have been the site of public exposures recently.
“Early reports from officers conducting the checks show compliance has been good,” the province notes.
— With a file from Tim Roszell
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